Homily Three on the Holy Great Martyr George (Archimandrite George Kapsanis)

By Archimandrite George Kapsanis,
Former Abbot of Gregoriou Monastery on Mount Athos

Both in earlier times and in recent times, people, out of love for someone dear to them, have not hesitated to perform a heroic act — even to sacrifice their own life. But there is no other example of “laying down one’s life” (cf. John 15:13) not only for one’s friends but also for one’s enemies, and even for those who crucified Him, except the example of our Lord. For the Lord was sacrificed on the Cross not only for the sake of His friends and His disciples and those who loved Him, but also for the sake of His enemies and those who crucified Him. And here the greatness of the love of God is revealed. And it is this love of God that conquered death. And Life could not remain in the tomb, but rose and became life and incorruption for the whole world.

Thus, those who follow the God-man Lord, like the Holy Great Martyr George, whose memory we celebrate today, also, in their love for God and for man, for the Crucified and Risen Lord, offer their lives. And outwardly it appears that the world and the devil prevail, because, according to human judgment, the end for the Holy Martyrs is painful and without hope. But the Holy Martyrs, because they had within themselves the Risen Lord and the love of God, saw beyond the veil of the flesh.

The Depiction of Saint George the Trophy-Bearer in Iconography (Photios Kontoglou)

 

“Saint George the Trophy-bearer,” portable icon, 1951. It is included among a series of portable icons that Kontoglou sent to America, after consultation with Father Nicholas Trivelas, for the iconography of the Sacred Church of the Holy Trinity in Charleston, South Carolina.

By Photios Kontoglou

Saint George the Trophy-bearer: young, beardless, curly-haired, with thick hair flowing at the sides. He is usually depicted on horseback, upon a white horse, armed, piercing with his spear a green dragon that has its lair within a cave. On the left side there appears a castle upon a rock, and within it the king and the queen, with trumpeters, soldiers, and people. Below the fortress and outside the gate stands the princess, whom the Saint saved from the teeth of the dragon, according to the popular story.

Saint George is also painted on foot, clothed in a breastplate and holding a spear and shield. Sometimes he is depicted seated upon a throne. More rarely he is painted holding his severed head and praying, as is seen in a wall painting of the Monastery of Xenophontos on Mount Athos.

Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church

By Fr. George Dorbarakis

The feast of the Holy Great Martyr George is, according to our Church, especially joyful not only because the day of a saint’s martyrdom is the day of his glory, as he then enters triumphantly into the Kingdom of Heaven, but also because it always accompanies “the feast of feasts and the festival of festivals,” the Resurrection of the Lord. According to the Holy Hymnographer, “Behold, the spring of grace has dawned; the Resurrection of Christ has shone upon all, and together with it now shines the all-festal and light-bearing day of George the Martyr; come all, bearing light with divine zeal, let us celebrate with joy” (Kathisma of Matins). “The all-glorious memory of the servant has shone forth for us together with the Resurrection of Christ, in which, having gathered together, we the faithful celebrate with joy” (Ode 3).

So great indeed is the joy of the feast that the Holy Hymnographer, moving on a high level of lyricism, says that with the Great Martyr George even the proverb “one swallow does not make spring” is surpassed. “Behold for you also one delightful swallow, O God-gathered people, wondrously fulfills the grace of spring — George” (Ode 6). Where does the great grace of the Holy Great Martyr lie, so that he is called “a true friend of Christ, His champion, a most radiant lamp of the world, a most shining star, a most precious lamp” (Ode 4)? The answer given by the hymns of our Church is none other than that given for all the saints: his deep faith in Christ and his fervent love for Him and for people, that is, his perfect obedience to His teachings. Simply, what is the core of holiness is expressed by our hymnographers in many ways and on many levels. For example: “You followed the teachings of the Master” (Doxastikon of Vespers). “Having established desire by faith, having driven away fear by hope, you acquired the heavenly things by love, all-praised one” (Litia). “Being established in hope and fenced about by love and also by faith, O George, and being strengthened by the power of Christ, you have overthrown the delusion of idols” (Ode 3).

April: Day 23: Teaching 2: Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer

April: Day 23: Teaching 2:
Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer
 
(On Spiritual Martyrdom)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Holy Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer, whom the Church glorifies today, lived in the 4th century in Cappadocia. He was of noble birth, distinguished himself in military valor, and attained the high rank of commander of a thousand. In his time the emperor Diocletian reigned, who raised one of the most terrible persecutions against Christians. Thus, once, on the night of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, he burned a church in Nicomedia with 20,000 Christians inside.

Saint George confessed the Christian faith; and once, when Diocletian with his nobles and officials was conducting a cruel and lawless trial against Christians, George entered the assembly and began to rebuke the emperor for his impiety and cruelty. The whole assembly was struck by George’s boldness. Then Diocletian, concealing his anger, tried to persuade him gently to renounce Christ; but seeing the Martyr’s steadfastness, he ordered that he be thrown into prison and later subjected to cruel tortures.

“Sooner will you grow weary of torturing me than I of enduring torture,” said the Holy Martyr to the emperor.

Prologue in Sermons: April 23

The Saints of God Lovingly Receive Gifts Offered in Their Memory

April 23

(First Miracle of Saint George)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

Many Christians honor with special love certain saints of God and, out of this love, bring their offerings to churches dedicated in their name. However, brethren, is there benefit for those who offer such gifts? And are such offerings pleasing to the saints of God? What shall we say to this?

In the regions of Syria there was a city called Orovlie,* and in it a church was being built in the name of the Holy Great Martyr George. Since the church was intended to be large, many columns were needed for its support. The Christians were greatly concerned about obtaining such columns and transporting them to the place of construction.

At that time, a certain woman, who had great love for the Holy Martyr, purchased at her own expense one column needed for the building of the church. But the difficulty was how to bring it to the site. She transported it, at her own cost, to the seashore and began to beg the man who was carrying other columns to take hers as well across the sea. But he refused her, loaded only his own columns onto the ship, and sailed away with them.

THOMAS SUNDAY (ANTIPASCHA)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko 

The Appearance of the Lord to the Holy Apostle Thomas

Today is Sunday. During the whole Paschal week, the Risen Lord did not appear again to His disciples. Eight days after Pascha, the disciples again gathered together, and Thomas was with them. The doors, as on that evening, were again shut. Suddenly Jesus Christ appeared in their midst and said to them: “Peace be unto you!” — and, turning to Thomas, answering the demands of his doubting heart, He said to him: “Bring your finger here, and see My hands; and bring your hand, and put it into My side; and be not unbelieving, but believing” (cf. John 20:27). Then the wondrous appearance of the Lord and His wondrous word, showing His omniscience, overcame the disciple’s doubt; he no longer dared to put his fingers into the wounds of the nails or his hand into the side of the Risen Savior. Ashamed of his unbelief, in prayerful reverence he confessed: “My Lord and my God!” Now he believes with all his heart, because he has seen the Lord and experienced within himself the power of His Resurrection. The Lord, accepting the confession of His disciple, nevertheless says to him: “You have believed because you have seen Me; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). By this He pointed us, who have not seen Him, to the word proclaimed about Him by His apostles.

Saint Theodore the Sykeote Resource Page

Venerable Theodore the Sykeote (Feast Day - April 22)

Verses 

 

And to Theodore—even when Theodore was dead—
the gift of working wonders is a great gift from God.
On the twenty-second, the tomb concealed the Sykeote.

 

Saint Theodore the Sykeote, Bishop of Anastasiopolis

 

April: Day 22: Teaching 1: Venerable Theodore the Sykeote

 

April: Day 22: Teaching 2: Venerable Theodore the Sykeote 
 

How St. Theodore of Sykeon Spent His Youth Between Epiphany and Palm Sunday

 

The Miraculous Recovery of Saint Theodore of Sykeon from the Bubonic Plague

 

The Role of St. George in the Life of St. Theodore Sykeote

 

April: Day 22: Teaching 2: Venerable Theodore the Sykeote

April: Day 22: Teaching 2:
Venerable Theodore the Sykeote
 
(Go to the temple of God with special delight.)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. The Venerable Theodore, whose memory is celebrated today, having been born in Sykeon, from his early years loved to visit the church. At eight years of age he began to attend school, and, returning from school, he always went in to pray in the church. Not only by day did Theodore visit the church, but even at night; when all those at home were sleeping a deep sleep, at the first glimmering of dawn he would leave the house unnoticed and go to the temple of God. For his nocturnal visits to the church his mother sometimes punished Theodore and even began to bind him to the bed; but Saint George appeared to her and commanded her not to hinder her son from going to the house of prayer. Thus passed the childhood and youthful years of Theodore.

Prologue in Sermons: April 22

 

One Must Not Judge a Person By Outward Actions

April 22

(A Word about the Venerable Vitalios* the monk, how he left his cell and went to Alexandria, and saved many harlots.)

By Archpriest Victor Guryev

For the most part, we judge a person by his outward actions. If a man does something bad in our sight, we say that he is a bad man, and, for embellishment of speech, we even invent something about him ourselves, and thus an evil rumor spreads about him. But one must not judge this way, because we do not know the inner motives that led a person to do one thing or another, and not knowing them, we cannot condemn him. For example, in order to avoid human glory, a man does good secretly, but we, not seeing him openly giving alms, say that he is stingy. Do we judge rightly? Certainly not. A man by nature is silent and loves to do good not in words but in deeds. But we, not knowing his virtues and basing ourselves only on his lack of talkativeness, call him hard-hearted. Do we judge justly? Again, no. A man, not wishing to appear before others as fasting, eats sweet foods in company; but we, not knowing that at home he does not even eat his fill of coarse bread, call him a glutton and a drunkard. Is our judgment not mistaken? Without doubt, yes. There may be other cases. Let us take the following.